What To Expect From Braves Prospects In 2020
Baseball season is here!
For those who follow the amateur side, baseball season never really ends. The summer evaluation period has been in full gear for a while now, offering a small reprieve from the world in the form of draft dreams and star hopefuls. Now, fans of the pro side get to watch actual major league baseball that matters.
While the chaos of a 60-game season with all its rules and heightened tension game to game will be a nice distraction, those who follow the minor league side will continue to suffer the effects of no season. Scouts aren’t able to work in parks. Development is limited to Zoom calls and video coaching for players not on the 60-man pool. Those players’ careers are stuck in neutral for the most part, being forced to build mounds and cages and throwing against walls instead of getting in-game reps and face-to-face instruction. Combine that with the lack of revenue for affiliates and upcoming contraction, and it’s a stressful time for the minor leagues.
But there are a few prospects fortunate enough to get added to the player pool, and they’re going to get consistent team workouts, instruction and game reps through scrimmages. Because of that, those player pool spots are like gold for prospects. So far, the Braves have given their golden tickets to Shea Langeliers, Bryce Ball, Braden Shewmake, Drew Waters, Michael Harris, Ian Anderson, Kyle Muller, Jared Shuster and Vaughn Grissom (not counting the 40-man prospects who automatically get included). Some of these prospects are automatic picks because of proximity to the majors, such as Waters, Anderson and Muller. Others received the invitation because of their lofty status and potential within the system, such as Langeliers, Ball, Harris, Shuster and Grissom.
And some Braves prospects are working to earn spots on the major league roster or should expect to get at least some playing time during the season, such as Kyle Wright, Bryse Wilson, Patrick Weigel, Huascar Ynoa, Tucker Davidson, Jasseel De La Cruz and Cristian Pache (and maybe William Contreras?).
Wright is the most notable name here for the likelihood that he’s the fifth starter out of camp. I previously wrote that he’s my candidate to give the Braves the most value from a prospect this season. Some of that is out of necessity as the most developmentally advanced pitcher in the system, and my highest-graded pitcher, but he also opened eyes this spring because of his stuff and pitch usage.
His final tuneup Wednesday wasn’t quite what I saw in spring training. In this camp start, Wright relied more heavily on his sinker at 92-94 that hitters tend to pick up early in the release. He only flashed his explosive 95-96 natural-cut to the glove side that pairs so effectively with his plus slider, which he went to much more often this spring with high-level effectiveness. His curveball was his best pitch Wednesday, and he showed effectiveness when utilizing his spin and off-speed more often, but hitters timed the sinker when he stuck with it too much. Going back to his spring approach – heavy cut/slider usage and flashing the curve and change – would serve him well. Regardless, he seems lined up for the fifth spot and a start against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second series. Plan B is long relief in a piggyback situation, likely behind Jhoulys Chacin.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if we see Davidson throw meaningful innings at some point. He was impressive this spring and has carried it into summer camp, which isn’t a surprise considering how hard he works and the constant climb toward starter potential he’s been on for a couple years. His velo spike into the mid-90s is still there, working it up and around the zone while tunneling it with a plus curveball. A noticeable development has been increased usage and confidence in a hard, three-quarters slider with short break but solid bite. The pitch has been there in the past, but he’s using it much more often lately to get hitters off the fastball/curveball combo. He flashes a firm changeup that can be effective enough when utilized properly, although you’d like to see it continue to develop along with his command. Davidson has done nothing but impress for a while now and has earned a call when a left-hander is needed out of the pen or even as a starter option right away.
De La Cruz continues to look the same from spring to summer as a relief option. He continues to pump mid-90s and bumps higher, coming from a long, violent arm action and tough angle for hitters. The slider remains inconsistent but is effective when tight. Short, one-inning bursts will help mask command inconsistencies, and he could be an option out of the bullpen right away.
The same goes for Weigel and Ynoa. Weigel should be given a chance in a major league pen as soon as right now. The stuff is there, he throws strikes and has been impressive from spring to summer, oozing confidence on the mound and shoving three major league pitches. He could help eat innings out of the bullpen as a multi-inning guy, but the stuff is good enough for the seventh inning or so. I can pretty much copy and paste my Weigel comments for Ynoa. Once he’s in a stable relief role, that should help him settle into his fastball/slider combo that’s worthy of a major league bullpen, perhaps in middle relief.
Not to bury the lede here, but Pache should also be an option for the major league team at some point. He’s recovering from a sprained ankle and will be at Gwinnett camp upon his return. Once he’s healthy and gets reps on the Gwinnett side, he could get a call to Atlanta either to move into the center field spot (if needed at that time) or as a defensive replacement late in the season. Don’t expect him to get called to Atlanta to replace anyone in the lineup as soon as he’s healthy unless Ender Inciarte isn’t hitting his weight.
And Contreras? As much as I’d love to see him rewarded for his outstanding development over the past year and incredible intrasquad performances this summer, he needs consistent reps, and that will only happen at Gwinnett. As Brian Snitker said recently, it’s a shame there isn’t a minor league season for Contreras to be playing every day. There’s a good chance he’d already be re-establishing his lofty prospect status in the public eye. He remains my highest-graded catcher in the Braves system. The timeline is lining up for Contreras or Langeliers to take over in 2022 if they stay on track developmentally.
For now, Contreras should stay at Gwinnett and possibly get a call because of injury, although the Braves may go with Alex Jackson or a free agent addition in that situation. If they go outside the organization for a fill-in, that could spell the end of Jackson’s time with the Braves. Jackson’s defense has improved by leaps and bounds to the point of being a big positive, and that could be enough to earn him the third catcher spot. But his bat has stagnated and the extreme swing-and-miss may be a drag on the lineup.
Austin Riley isn’t a prospect anymore but deserves a mention as the everyday third baseman for now. The past two exhibitions further prove his up-and-down approach at the plate. Tuesday was full of strikeouts as he looked in-between pitches, hesitant on the slider and freezing on the fastball. Wednesday was a completely different story as he sat fastball and pounded two over the fence. If Riley can find a comfort level at the plate, he has the bat and glove to lock down third base for the next several years. His development history is on his side, but the Braves don’t have the luxury of waiting him out over 60 games.
Touki Toussaint also isn’t a prospect anymore but should get time on a major league mound this year. Once he gets up to speed after his COVID-19 layoff, he should be one of the first calls for a multi-inning relief role. Some still like his starter potential, but I think it’d serve everyone well if the Braves gave Toussaint a clear relief role and shortened his lineup looks to two max. He has a two-pitch mix capable of late-innings impact.
Any time a prospect is on the field this season, my eyes will be on it and I will provide observations. I will also offer notes and observations on everyone else when deemed noteworthy, such as development changes for younger players. With no minor league season, I intend to offer coverage you won’t find anywhere else by looking at the major league side through an evaluation lens. At the same time, I’ll report on any developments I find or hear on prospects over the course of this unique season.